More than 140 sick cats taken from Lake Worth home

Dead kittens found in freezer

Animal Care and Control made a startling discovery in Lake Worth Wednesday morning: a house filled with more than 140 sick cats.

"It was a hoarding situation," said Dianne Suave, the agency's director. "There's probably in excess of 100 cats in there."

At 7 p.m., Suave said the count was currently at 148. Most of the cats were very sick with upper respiratory issues, pneumonia, eye infections, ringworm, fleas, broken teeth and tooth abscesses, and more.

There were dead kittens in freezer and Suave said the majority of the cats must be euthanized.

"A disgusting, deplorable situation where no animal should be imprisoned," she said.

Agents served a search warrant at the home in the 1700 block of 12th Avenue South in Lake Worth.

The owner of the cats, who was not home at the time of the raid, eventually arrived and voluntarily gave up custody of the cats to law enforcement.

"In a county as big as ours," Suave said, "if we're having a hard time placing cats in homes, the average person is going to have a hard time, too."